Clam diggers who miss the razor clam dig that ends Thursday night (Oct. 18) at Twin Harbors will have plenty of other chances to hit the beach in the months ahead.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has announced a tentative schedule for razor clam openings through the end of the year, including one later this month.

Starting Oct. 27, Twin Harbors will be open for four consecutive evening digs if routine marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat. Three other beaches – Long Beach, Copalis and Mocrocks – are also scheduled to open for digging Oct. 27-28 if test results are favorable.

Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager, said final word on those digs and more to follow will be announced about a week prior to each scheduled opening.

“This week’s dig, the first of the fall season, has been wet but productive,” Ayres said. “The number of clams is up at all beaches except Kalaloch this year, so we’re expecting a very good season.”

Ayres said WDFW based the tentative schedule of digs on a combination of clam abundance, low evening tides and the results of a public comment period conducted over the past month.

“By popular demand, we included a dig on New Year’s Eve, even though the tide isn’t ideal,” Ayres said. “It’s a holiday tradition for some diggers.”

All razor clam digs proposed through the end of the year are scheduled on low evening tides; no digging is allowed before noon on any day. Additional digs will be announced for 2013 early in the new year.

“After this series of digs, we’ll have enough clams available for harvest to offer significant digging opportunities during daylight hours in spring,” Ayres said.